Minimum Wage: NECA Warns Muhammadu Buhari Against Further Delay

NECA has urged for quick transmission of Executive Bill to the National Assembly

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) on Thursday expressed its disappointment over delay in implementation of the new national minimum wage. The association had requested the Muhammadu Buhari led administration to speed up the process of transmission of the new national minimum wage bill.

In a statement issued in Lagos, Mr. Timothy Olawale, NECA’s Director, expressed his concern that even after seven weeks of submission of National Minimum Wage Committee ’s report on the implementation of the new minimum wage, the government is still planning to get the report reviewed by another technical committee.

“Globally, there is a recognized and acceptable process of setting a National Minimum Wage as enshrined in the ILO Convention 131. This process had been adopted in previous National Minimum Wage setting in Nigeria and was meticulously applied by the National Minimum Wage Committee inaugurated by the President in December 2017,” Olawale stated, reported Punch.

He added that delay on the part of the government in completing the policy implementation process had led to the proposed labor strike next month, which is totally undesirable and should be avoided.

Olawale warned that any avoidable labor action would be counter-productive and disruption of business activities might result in the closure of many enterprises. He noted that it was pointless to drag the economy down further when it was still reeling under the effects of a recent recession.

To avert any such situation in future, Plawale has urged the President to transmit an Executive Bill to the National Assembly as soon as possible leading to the enactment of a new National Minimum Wage Act.

Notably, the Labour leaders have given 11 days time (since December 21, 2018) to the federal government to transmit the new national minimum wage bill to the lawmakers. They have warned the government that industrial peace and harmony would not be guaranteed in the country if their demand is not met before December 31.